It’s Thanksgiving this Thursday, a holiday devoted solely to eating lots of food. Here’s Rebecca Havely with some food handling tips to keep your family and friends safe…
With any holiday safe food handling is important. Make sure you wash your hands before handling food, and always wash with warm water and soap for at least 15 seconds before and after handling the turkey. When cooking the bird, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, and cook to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. Stuffing cooked inside a turkey should also reach 165 degrees or higher. Store raw meats away from other foods at below 40 degrees. Thaw frozen foods in the fridge, not on the counter top. When cooking, use separate plates for raw and cooked meats. Be careful about leaving food out on the counter or table for extended periods to avoid food poisoning. Keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold.